


Death of Monsters

by Alliance (Xazz)



Series: Cypress Hall [56]
Category: Flight Rising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 14:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xazz/pseuds/Alliance





	1. Chapter 1

Everyone heard the big front door open and then slam shut. The thundering of four sets of feet followed as they ran up the stairs and found Sanya in front of her vanity, doing her hair. Neph was lounging on her bed reading a book. “Mama, mama,” one of the children ran up, practically colliding with her.

“Careful,” she said, almost scolding. Sanya was glad so many hands were around to help with her children because she didn’t particularly like children, not even hers. She’d never tell anyone that of course but… “What is it?” she asked, standing up before they could climb or cling to her.

“There’s a monster out in the swamp,” said one of her sons and pointed urgently out the window.

“Well of course there are, you know that— _why_ were you out in the swamp? You know you aren’t supposed to go beyond the Master’s fence?” her words were hard, now very much scolding.

“It was Zarah,” he immediately pointed to her runt of a daughter. “She said she saw something and climbed the fence!”

Sanya gave her daughter a critical look. “I did! There was a beast!”

“It’s the Ruins swamps, what do you expect?” Neph asked boredly from her bed. He turned a page in his book. “I bet it was just Lurk.”

“It wasn’t! It wasn’t!” they insisted and started bouncing up and down in the way little Spiral children did. “It was black! And it had big teeth! And it was dead!” they chorused.

Neph looked up slowly, “A dead swamp creature?” he asked.

“Yes! It was dead uncle Neph! A big dead monster just outside the fence! We could see it from inside,” her other daughter said.

Neph pushed himself slowly up from the bed looking down at her four children. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”

“We aren’t!” Zarah said.

Sanya huffed. “We’ll send Innya to go look at it. I’m sure you’re just making things up again. But you four did go outside of the Master’s fence so you’re to be punished.”

“But mama-

“Come now, before I tell your father you’re disobeying me,” she snapped. Gods she hated children. Fayne was lucky he was cute or she would have wrung his neck for getting her pregnant. Her children hunched or flinched back. Fayne was a very strict man, a very strict parent. She’d never seen him hit them but she didn’t doubt he did. She couldn’t find it in herself to care. “Now you’re going in timeout,” she said. They nodded meekly. “Neph, will you go ask Innya to check that out?” she asked him.

“I guess?” he sighed and rolled off her bed.

“Come along,” she rounded up her children to go take them to their room for time out leaving Neph to contact Innya.


	2. Chapter 2

Innya stood at the mound Neph had told her about. A beast he’d said. Some dead beast.

It certainly was.

She’d fought all manner of monster and beastclan in her time as a gladiator but she’d _never_ seen anything like this. It looked almost like a dragon but bigger with more teeth and curled horns and fogged red eyes. Its huge red tongue flopped out of its mouth on the mud. A ways away she could see another huge thing, just as large. It looked almost like a Spined Whale but it was larger, and deep purple almost like a bruise. When she approached it it was covered in huge claw and teeth markings that left huge furrows in its thick, blubbery, hide. She poked it with her spear. It didn’t move.

“By the Shade what is this?” she asked no one. It was a pair of monsters. She was out of her depth.

Before leaving Innya did a patrol around the bodies to see if there were any more and then one around the manor to make sure all was well. Once she was satisfied she went back inside. She found the Master in his study with Silky. Silky was bringing him some books and taking others away while the Master took notes while he read. “Master,” she said when she arrived.

He didn’t look at her, “Yes Innya, what is it?” he asked, making a note in a notebook by his side.

“There’s something you need to see.”

“What is it?”

“Something I’ve never seen. Perhaps you can make sense of it?”

He looked up at her now. “I’m very busy right now Innya, is this important?”

“There are two leviathans on your land, Master. I feel it is important.”

The Master sat back and looked at Silky who was just standing by the side holding some books. Silky shrugged. He looked back to Innya, “Very well, show me,” he said as he pushed back his chair.


	3. Chapter 3

Rahila didn’t know why she’d been called out here. She didn’t particularly _like_ the Master or his harem. It seemed so frivolous and superficial with him. She still couldn’t believe Johanna allowed him to stay here. But it had come to her attention that some… things had died out on his part of the island and she should go look to make sure everything was alright. Rahila knew more about huge beasts than just about anyone.

She was following Innya around the manor’s grounds and out a short distance to he shore. And there, sure enough, were leviathans. “Oh,” her red eyes widened.

“You recognize these?” the Master asked, standing beside her.

“I do… I didn’t think they could stay out here in this realm.”

“Excuse me?” the Master rose a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her.

She moved around to the head of the draconic looking beast. “This is a Shadow Leviathan, a big one,” she squatted down to put her head nearly inside its jaws. “They hunt that,” she stood and pointed at the Deeprealm Hunter a ways away. “A Deeprealm Hunter, a predator of the Deeprealm, hunted only by Leviathans.”

“What? What are you talking about? The Deeprealm is a myth,” the Master scoffed. “A story told by Seers who can’t See to give their lacking gifts meaning.”

“Oh, I assure you, it is very real,” Rahila said, walking around the two bodies. “Though why would a Leviathan and Hunter end up here?”

“Are there more?” Innya asked.

“Maybe,” Rahila said. “Leviathans don’t travel in packs but Hunters do. But they shouldn’t be able to sustain their forms in our reality. They’re made of dream stuff and theory. They exist only in dreams and nightmares. They shouldn’t be able to exist here,” she frowned. “Regardless, you should have them removed, quickly. If nothing else their bodies will attract all manner of scavengers and carrion feeders. The bodies are still rather fresh but beasts this size will stink for days and be smelt for miles.”

The Master looked over at Innya, “I will take care of it,” Innya nodded.

“Now the question is; are their others?” Rahila asked. She went over to the Hunter. It was… barely solid when she stepped on its great flank. This one must have gotten trapped out here. With the Leviathan? Something tickled her mind. A story she’d heard from Reza. Gemini had had to rescue Sigurrós on a fog day. He’d been attacked by some horrible beast and Gemini said he’d seen some huge draconic monster attack them. Were the fog days related to the Hunters? Reza said Gemini had said there had been a pod of them. That was worrisome. She’d have to look into it.

“Is that all you have to say?” the Master asked. “No other wisdom for us?”

“None that you’d care for,” she scoffed. “You don’t believe in the Deeprealm so there’s no reason for me to go on about them,” she hopped off the Hunter. “But really, carcasses like this will just attract dead eaters. I’d have them removed as soon as possible.”

“I said I would take care of it,” Innya said shortly.

“Very well. I’ll be off then,” Rahila said as her only goodbye before taking flight.


End file.
